New Possibilities
by Monochromatic Kamui
Summary: "Hello, son of Adam or should I say, Abel?" "It matters not if he decides to run like a coward and seek protection somewhere else. He is simply stalling the inevitable." "Choose! Will you follow me or will you become another of the trash that contaminates this world?" "If there is no path, I will create my own. Tell me, what will you do?" A mix of the two Devil Survivor games.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

The faint sounds of a train moving along the railway tracks above echoed throughout the entire tunnel. The tunnel, most famously known as the Akasaka Tunnel, seemed to stretch forever, which was only amplified with the shadows that danced along the walls. Lights of low brightness illuminated the way forward and scarcely allowed the people standing there to differentiate each other. Their faces were hidden behind shadows, but their familiar auras helped everyone to take notice of them.

No one made a sound, allowing the somber and tense silence to fill the emptiness of the tunnel. They waited for a few minutes before one of them spoke.

"It seems that everyone has arrived." Despite the darkness that blanketed the area, he was the easiest to recognize; his silver hair was bathed by the weak light hanging from the ceiling, the green matrix code design on his haori glowed softly like the light from a dying ember, and blood red eyes pierced though the opaque surroundings.

"Whoa. Wait, what? Hang on a second!" a second figure exclaimed, "We're still missing some people!"

A feminine voice soon followed in agreement, "that's right. I mean, I know that Gin and Haru told me that they can't make it, but what about Midori or Mari?"

"Mari's got some work to do, so she won't be coming. She told me to tell you guys to take care of yourselves," a man said with his gruff voice. He too was standing underneath a light. His dark pink hair was slicked back and he had sharp, feral features. He was wearing his typical black jogging outfit with a black jacket and black shoes.

"Huh. Is that so…" the second figure mused, "then I guess we really do have everyone here who could make it today."

"Aren't you forgetting about someone?" the female asked, "Keisuke and Midori?"

"No worries, Yoohoo! Keisuke texted me to say that he wasn't interested, and I passed by Midori the other day. She said she had to go to some animé convention."

All the information that was said passed by the girl's mind, as she was focused on only one thing he said. Her red eyes narrowed, filling with irritation. She snapped, "I thought-I told you-to stop-calling-me-Yoohoo!"

The boy laughed teasingly, "whoops. Sorry, Yoohoo."

A growl resonated from the girl. She was about to move forward threateningly towards him when she heard an impatient sigh.

The man who broke the silence and started the gathering glanced at both of them, "are you two done yet?"

They both immediately fell silent and mumbled apologies. The boy's apology was sheepish, while the girl's apology was bleak. They both averted their gazes and looked at the ground. They knew better than to get on his bad side. He was calculative, manipulative and cold; he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of someone if they were in his way.

Once the silver-haired man was sure that everything was silent again, he went straight to the point of the meeting. "Let's get started. We have no time to waste. Everyone here should know why we've all gathered here today. We have already discussed the problem and planned our next steps in the previous gatherings. All that is left is to put it into action." He looked to his left, "If you would, cousin."

The eighteen year old boy was wearing a black long sleeved shirt, and red pants with a belt strap on his right side. His dark-colored mp3 player was clipped on his collar and the white headphones were sitting comfortably on his shoulder. The boy's blue hair almost looked black from the lack of light and his similarly colored eyes were just barely perceptible.

"Right," he said, as he took out his white and black COMP. Pressing a few keys, he quickly found the one he needed to summon. _Aion_: a deity race demon known as the god of eternity that has control of unbounded time, and is related to the zodiacs and the orb encompassing the universe.

Only a few seconds after, Aion was summoned before the group. Other than the markings below his eyes, the long pointed ears, and claw-like nails, he appeared human enough. His long hair had stripes of black and white, his eyes were molten gold, and he had a seemingly delicate figure. "Ah. King of Bel, is it time for my assistance?"

As the two cousins were the only ones to see the deity beforehand, everyone else had varying reactions. Some had stiffened from his presence; they were still uncomfortable around demons and didn't trust them. Others were wide eyed because his appearance, one stayed blank and unfazed, and another was smirking from all the power he felt from the demon.

"So this will be the one to send you over there," a soft-spoken girl said. Her face was set in an emotionless frown and her violet eyes were blank. The lotus headband on her head stood out along with the orange robes she wore. Her boots also held the same flower as the one on her head.

"Yes," the silver haired man said, "Aion is more than capable in fulfilling our needs. Now then, I've already designated who will be going."

The fact that not everyone would be going surprised all the other individuals in the tunnel. They fought together and faced all challenges together. Most importantly, they survived together. They all knew that splitting up would be more dangerous based on their past experiences.

"It takes a great deal of energy and effort to send people over, so we can't ignorantly send whoever we want. As the maximum number of people is four, I've chosen those who would benefit us the most in our commission. Of course, Kazuya will be going. I will take the second position, and Kaido will take third. Atsuro, you will the final group member."

Naoya had very carefully chosen the members of the group. He went over everyone's strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. He considered their mental and physical capacities, as well. The four of them each served a specific purpose and unexpectedly, they worked well together.

Atsuro would be Kazuya's support during the harsh times ahead. His dear cousin was still too emotional and would eventually breakdown even though he has hidden it quite well. Atsuro is loyal to Kazuya and would do anything for him. After all, he didn't abandon him like that female friend of theirs had done.

Kaido's physical prowess was stronger than the others by a great deal. Not only that, but there would be no need to worry about his mental state. He was the leader of the most famous gang _Daemon_, and he never backs down from an opponent.

To balance the raw strength Kaido held, he, himself, would accompany the group. His intelligence and foresight would minimize losses and plan for unexpected situations. The damage dealt from his magic and Kaido's strength would deal a great quantity of damage to the enemy, as well. Amane would have also been an ideal companion, but she was needed here to watch over the humans that Kazuya so desperately protected.

Kazuya would once again be the group leader. His leadership skills were growing each day and his skills in battle were prodigious. He would deal the final strike and end what has been going for all eternity.

Chuckling, the grin on Kaido's face was almost bloodthirsty, "Hell yes. I've been waiting for you to call my name. All those powerful opponents we'll face… I can't wait to destroy them." He missed the fights during the Yamanote lockdown. Things were fun back then; beating people who were against him, killing demons and gaining macca to get stronger demons… Peaceful times just weren't for him. He'd gladly risk his life if he could get some action.

A look of hesitance and uncertainty crossed Atsuro's face. He wasn't sure if he was the right person to go with them. _Well, if Naoya says that I'll be useful, then who can argue with him? _He glanced at his best friend and became determined. He went through Hell for him and he wasn't about to leave him to face everything alone. "Right. I'll do my best."

Kazuya closed his eyes briefly. He had already known who would be coming along with him, but he was still worried. It had been a year since the battle for the throne happened, and everyone was enjoying their year back to normalcy and peace. It would be another difficult journey; he could feel that something would go amiss.

Although the participants were fine with the decision, those left out were not.

"Hey. Why aren't I going?" 'Yoohoo' asked. If her two friends were going, she should be with them. She couldn't abandon them again. The guilt of doing so in the past was a strong reminder of her mistaken choice.

"Do you want to come along?" Naoya asked, questioning her determination and will.

She flinched. It was true. No matter what she did or told herself, she would always be scared. She didn't have the strength that Kaido has, the loyalty that Atsuro has, or the intelligence that Naoya has. She couldn't stay by Kazuya's side because all she did was run away.

"Well, whether you do or don't does not matter, your abilities are not required for this commission."

She wanted to bite back, to say something sharp that would prove herself but she couldn't. There was nothing to prove and she was at a loss of words.

Kazuya stepped in before things got worse. He smiled gently and said, "Yuzu. Stay here, okay? Someone has to be with our parents while we're gone." _You'll be safer here, as well._ Kazuya thinks that, but doesn't say it.

"I agree." The priestess said, "We of the Shomonkai will take care of the people in your absence."

A man wearing soldier clothes nodded, "leave it to us. You just worry about what you have to do. It's our civil duty to protect the citizens. Right, Captain Izumi?"

"Yes, Commander Fushimi!"

Yuzu still looked upset but otherwise agreed, "I guess… Just promise to come back safe."

It was just like the time she had asked for the same thing when Kazuya was entering the demon world. As expected, he agreed easily with the smile that would always reassure others.

Looking at all the people he would be leaving behind, the people that would try to help him no matter what, Kazuya said words of gratitude, "thanks, everyone. Please take care of yourselves while we're gone."

After saying their farewells, the four chosen members of the group stood together, apart from everyone else.

"Good. I will now bring over the four chosen candidates," Aion said. Small orbs of light surrounded him and then circled around Atsuro, Kaido, Naoya, and Kazuya.

"And so it starts," Naoya said, a smile of anticipation slowly breaking onto his face.

"Our objective: **To kill God**."

They vanished.


	2. Sunday's Melancholy

Chapter One: **Sunday's Melancholy**

Sighs of relief, groans of despair, and excited chatter instantly filled the room when the bell rang for the end of the exam period. It was easy to tell who did well and who flunked the exam. Those with big smiles, eyes brimming with confidence or small smiles of self-reassurance and relief written all over their faces were students who were prepared for the exam and would most probably pass. Then there were some who were frowning, sighing in disappointment or showing a lack of enthusiasm to the fact that the exam was over. They were the ones that most probably had difficulty with the exam and their chances of success were slim.

Hibiki Kuze was satisfied with effort he put into his exam. He studied hard for it and it payed off; he knew that he would most definitely pass. A small smile of relief appeared on his face and he stood up to pack up his school supplies.

"Hey, Hibiki!" a high male voice called out. He stood by the doorway, scanning the crowd for his friend. After seeing him, he walked over to stand in front of him.

"Daichi," Hibiki replied, giving him a smile. His friend must have just finished an exam, as well. Daichi was wearing the typical gray school uniform with a black chemise collar shirt underneath, a yellow scarf wrapped loosely around his neck, and a blue and white striped tie.

Daichi gave his own smile, although it was shaky. "How was the exam?"

Knowing that his friend found the exam hard, Hibiki gave a big grin and summed it up in one word, "Perfect."

Daichi groaned. His head was already too preoccupied with his future exam results of failure to notice the tease that came from Hibiki. "Of course you'd do well. You're super smart." Daichi gave another groan and slapped one hand onto his face. "I'm going to fail, I just know it."

Before he delved too deeply into his misery, a shout called his name, "Shijima? Daichi Shijima?"

Daichi perked up like a jack in a box, "Huh? Yeah, that's me." He walked back to the doorway of the room and towards the exam proctor.

"You left your stuff in the room. Here," the proctor said, handing Daichi's possessions over to him, "please be more careful next time."

"Ah! Yes!" Daichi exclaimed, just realizing that he didn't have his bag with him, "sorry, I'll definitely be more careful next time. Thank you!"

The proctor disappeared around the corner and Daichi made his way back to Hibiki. His friend was all ready to go with his bag hanging off his right shoulder.

"Oh, Hibiki! Have you heard of Nicaea?"

Hibiki scrunched his face slightly, trying to remember where he heard it from. His eyes soon lit up in recognition; his classmates where talking about it once. "'Images of death', right?"

"Yeah," Daichi confirmed, "They show videos of how people are going to die. You have to sign up, Hibiki. It'll be cool if we could see how we'll die, and then we could comment on it or something."

"Okay," Hibiki agreed, easily pulled in by Daichi's enthusiasm. Besides, he didn't really expect a lot from the site even though it seemed to be popular. There was no harm in trying it... right?

He passed his blue cell phone to his friend, who pulled up the site and handed it back to its owner.

"Just insert your name right here," Daichi instructed, the blank box clearly showing on the screen.

H-i-b-i-k-i- -K-u-z-e

After clicking enter, two shadowed figures appeared; one female and one male. The words above told him to pick a guide for the Nicaea site. Not really caring about the gender, Hibiki just clicked on the female figure.

"Hey there, master! Thanks for choosing Tico-Tico for your guide~ Welcome to Nicaea, a dead face delivery site. I'm gonna be your guide during your time with us. Let's have fun together, okay~"

Tico had shoulder-length purple hair with black bunny ears on her head. She was dressed in a black suit with white boots and black gloves. She grinned, waving both her arms in goodbye before jumping and disappearing from the screen.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Daichi said, causing Hibiki to glance at him.

"Yeah, it's pretty elaborate," Hibiki said, snapping his phone shut and putting it in his pocket.

"Anyways," Daichi said, abruptly changing the subject, "Want to go the mall? Let's hang out a bit."

"Sure," Hibiki said, "let's go."

* * *

><p>"Hey, stop for a second!"<p>

Hibiki paused and looked back at Daichi. He was looking through the glass wall of a store at a grey sweater with a comic design on the front.

"Let's check this store out. I've got to buy that sweater. It'll look good on me for sure."

Hibiki wasn't so sure about that. The design on the sweater was a bit childish, after all. But then he would have to consider Daichi as a factor on his own. His friend was most definitely silly, so it might actually fit his personality perfectly. He didn't know whether to be blunt and say that it looked terrible, or to encourage his friend's feelings and allow Daichi to buy it no matter how bad it looked.

Hibiki frowned, "are you sure you want to buy that?"

"Of course!" Daichi exclaimed, "I'll totally look macho in that sweater. Maybe I'll even find some girls."

He walked into the store, cutting off any responses Hibiki was about to say.

Hibiki sighed and followed him into the store. Well, as long as his friend was happy. It may even be amusing in the future when Daichi wears that piece of clothing.

* * *

><p>"Man… we're already 18 years old and we still don't have a girlfriend."<p>

The restaurant was empty with only a few people sitting at the other tables. They were sitting side-by-side at a table near the corner with the window in front of them. It gave them a perfect view of the street outside and there were several people walking by.

"I'm not really looking for a relationship now," Hibiki responded, taking a sip through the straw of his small-sized ice tea drink.

"What?" Daichi said, sounding scandalized, "it's girls. _Girls_. How can you not want a relationship?"  
>He pushed back his tray to face his friend fully. Girls are something that every man needs in their life. They were like the meat to a hamburger. You can't have a hamburger without meat! A world without girls would be hell. After all, what would the meaning of life be without girls?<p>

"There are more important things to think about now, you know," Hibiki deadpanned. He didn't exactly share the same interest of girls that his friend did.

"Yeah, yeah," Daichi waved him off, "you say that now but you'll definitely regret it in the future."

Hibiki stayed silent, choosing to keep the straw in his mouth.

"So?" Daichi asked, leaning forward towards Hibiki.

"So what?" Hibiki asked in return, eying the other cautiously. He had to fight the urge to lean back.

"Come on, don't be shy. I'm your best friend, you can tell me anything."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Daichi sighed, leaning back to his original position. "Hibiki, Hibiki…" he said as though he was talking to a child, "you know. Your type of girl."

"I thought we were done with this conversation."

"Come on, tell me. Tell me," Daichi whined.

There was a pause, and then Hibiki mumbled.

Daichi frowned, "sorry, you'll have to speak louder. I couldn't hear you."

Hibiki looked at his friend exasperatedly, "a girl who's kind."

Daichi looked thoughtful for a second, nodding in affirmation. "Typical."

"Huh?" Hibiki said confused, unsure of what he meant, "What do you mean?"

"Well, my dear friend," Daichi explained in a professional voice, "you kind of have a gentlemanly attitude. You would, without a second thought, aid anyone who needed assistance. A kind girl would fit you like the final piece to a puzzle. A very complicated puzzle, maybe, but a puzzle none the less."

"What about you, Daichi?" Hibiki threw the question back, "do you even have a type of girl you like?"

"I do!" He retorted.

Hibiki didn't believe him, "really?"

"Yes!"

"But you drool at almost every girl that you see."

Daichi looked shocked, stuttering, "wha- that's- no, I don't!"

Hibiki's shoulder trembled and his mouth twitched upward.

Daichi immediately realized that he was being teased, "You…" His thought trailed off and he grinned widely. He quickly stood up and locked Hibiki's neck with his right arm, giving him a noogie with his left.

Hibiki laughed while trying to escape at the same time.

"Um… customers?"

Daichi froze and Hibiki's laughter died down. They both looked at the restaurant employee who was smiling gently. Her brown hair was in a bun and a visor covered her head. She was in her work uniform which was mainly black with a few stripes of color on the side. The name tag on the right side of her chest stated 'Miyako.'

"I'm glad you're having a wonderful time, but could you please keep it down? You're disturbing the other customers," the worker continued.

Daichi immediately let go of his friend and a light blush appeared on his cheeks. Several people occupying the restaurant were staring at them, and some passersby outside watched them as they walked by. "Oh, sorry! Sorry, we'll keep it down."

She thanked them and walked away to return to her previous task. Daichi sat back down onto his seat, sinking a little lower than needed. Both hands covered his face and he gave a low groan of embarrassment.

Hibiki continued to drink with his eyes glued to the vivid blue sky outside. Only a few seconds later, he noticed that his cup was empty. He smiled. For some reason, he felt like laughing again.

* * *

><p>Daichi and Hibiki walked on the sidewalk towards the subway station. Daichi was commenting about how much money they spent. He did buy a lot of stuff at the mall.<p>

"You mean, you spent a lot of money," Hibiki said. He, on the other hand, didn't buy a single thing from all the stores they went to.

"Yeah, okay. I bought a lot, but that's perfectly fine. It's the perfect celebration that I could give myself for finally getting my driver's licence," Daichi said, sounding genuinely happy.

"You got it?" Hibiki asked. His friend was constantly talking about wanting to drive a vehicle on his own ever since the end of middle school.

"I did," Daichi confirmed, "I'll give you a ride next time."

Hibiki smiled, "It's a promise."

As they got closer and closer to the station, they spoke about other topics and made a few jokes. There was an abundant amount of laughter and smiles, equally divided between the two boys.

"I wonder what we're going to do after school," Daichi mused, moving on to a more serious topic.

"Find a job," Hibiki responded. Although he usually had his life planned out, even he was a bit uncertain about what would happen from now and beyond.

"That's just not for me!" Daichi whined, "I can't imagine myself working for hours upon hours. Will I even like my job?"

Hibiki chuckled, listening to his friend's rant. They both walked down the stairs to wait for the train on the platform.

Daichi's eyes where focusing on Hibiki but from the corner of his eye, he saw something or someone who caught his attention.

"Daichi?" Hibiki didn't know why he suddenly fell silent.

His friend gestured towards the direction behind him, "look back!"

He slowly turned around, glancing around to see what Daichi was looking at. Soon enough, his eyes landed on a girl only a few feet away from them. It was just like Daichi to let his attention get snatched away by a girl.

The girl had short brown hair and eyes. She was wearing their female school uniform, consisting of a grey top and a black skirt. She also had a blue and white ribbon bow, medium length black socks, and brown shoes. She seemed to be a student at their school, but Hibiki had never seen her before.

"That's Io Nitta," Daichi informed him, "she's a goddess. Not only is she cute but she's also innocent and modest. She's the idol of the homeroom class next door to ours."

"So she's really popular?" Hibiki asked. It was his first time hearing of a girl who seemed to attract a lot of attention from the male students of his school, including Daichi.

"What?" Daichi said, refocusing on his friend, "How dense can you be? We've walked by her plenty of times."

That was news to him. He never really looked at anyone else when he was hanging out with his friend.

"Excuse me…"

The call was hesitant and soft, belonging to a timid girl.

"Hey," Daichi said, not realizing who he was talking to, "can't you see that we're busy? I'm trying to teach my friend here about the amazing, beautiful-"

"Io Nitta!" Daichi exclaimed, eyes widening when he saw the girl in flesh right in front of him.

"Sorry," she apologized, "If you're busy…"

"No, not at all," he contradicted, "we're definitely not busy."

"Oh!" Io's eyes brightened, "so then…"  
>She struggled to find the words so she could ask them a question.<p>

Hibiki could only guess what she wanted to say. "You'll get sample questions later."

Her eyes widened, "how did you-?" She was mystified as to how the boy knew what she was going to ask. It was almost as if he read her mind, unless she really was that obvious? She mentally shook her head. It didn't matter how he knew, she was still grateful. "Thanks. I saw you guys and you were wearing the same uniform as me, so I thought we went to the same school. Thanks for telling me. I wasn't sure if that was possible. Of course I would be able to get practice questions if I asked. Um… Sorry for bothering you."

Io turned to leave and at the same time, Daichi shoved Hibiki out of the way.

"You idiot!" he whispered loudly. Before the girl could leave, he called out, "hey, Io! Wait!"

"Yes?" she asked, looking back at them.

Daichi stuttered, thinking of what to say, "so… uh… why-"

Three different ringtones sounded at the exact same time. All three teenagers frowned and took out their cell phones to check their new mail.

_XxNicaeaXx_

The subway platform shook, causing people to become unbalanced. Some fell onto the ground, others grabbed onto something to stay upright, and few were fine on their own after a little difficulty. The people were in panic. Screams and shouts started only a second after the earthquake commenced. A cacophony of noises filled their ears.

Hibiki, Daichi, and Io were all on the ground. They were frozen in fear and were unable to understand what was happening.

Hibiki's head pounded, the pupils in his eyes dilated, and his breath was coming up short. His thoughts were coming all at once and he was unable to interpret any of them. Each and every one of them appeared and disappeared in a millisecond. In other words, the fact that Hibiki had erratic thoughts could also be the fact that Hibiki had no thoughts at all. Unable to catch any of his passing thoughts, his mind was blank, as though someone wiped the words off of a whiteboard.

Time seemed to slow down as the sound of the subway coming towards them blared throughout the entire tunnel. It was moving faster than it should have been and screeches soon pierced through the air. The subway train's wheels created sparks as it rubbed against the railway tracks.

The shaking became worse and the subway shot upwards, crashing into the ceiling of the tunnel. Debris fell down, smashing into anything that was in its way.

The Subway groaned, and Hibiki could only stare as it fell upon him.

_XxNicaeaxX_

"Creepy," Io muttered, fully disturbed.

"What the hell?" Daichi exclaimed, "hey, is this you, Hibiki?"

He showed his friend the image on his cell phone. It was Hibiki. He was underneath the subway; crushed, bloody, and most importantly, dead.

"You're here, too, Daichi," Hibiki informed him as he looked at his own cell phone.

"No way!" Daichi looked over Hibiki's shoulder to peer at his friend's cell phone and see his own mangled body.

Daichi shivered, laughing nervously, "Ugh… I kind of expected something silly. But this… This is just… Ugh…"

A tense silence followed after.

"Well… uh… Io!" Daichi said, desperately trying to lighten the mood, "I didn't know you were into stuff like this. How did you sign up?"

"Oh… um… Some friends of mine were already signed up to the site, so I thought it would be fun if I was a part of it, too," Io explained nervously.

"I see…" Daichi responded.

The tense silence once again resumed.

Daichi glanced around and Io fidgeted. Hibiki was staring at his phone with a frown on his face. He didn't understand how something that seemed so real could show up like that. The scenes and images were too vivid for it to be a farce. It couldn't actually foresee the future, could it?

"Hey!" Daichi exclaimed, when he heard the faint sounds of the subway, "the subway's coming!"

Almost as if his words set off a chain reaction, everything began to shake.

"Wh-what's happening?" Io asked, panicking.

The sounds, the thoughts, the visuals… they were exactly the same as the… the video…

Hibiki didn't have any more time to think because suddenly a long, dark shadow covered him and everything around him. Looking up, he noticed that the subway loomed above him. He watched, wide eyed, as his death came closer every millisecond.

_Impossi-_

Everything went black.


	3. The Return to the Ordeal

Chapter Two: **The Return to the Ordeal**

Travelling through space was an odd feeling.

When the word 'space' was thought, Kazuya did not mean outer space that held the planets, constellations, galaxies, and the universe. It wasn't the cosmic space where the Earth was held in orbit or the course in high school where students learned that specific branch of science. It wasn't the deep space that gave man the opportunity to travel through it and land on the Moon. No, it wasn't where spaceships and spacesuits were needed for astronauts to enter that different environment. Nor was it when Neil Armstrong said, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

What Kazuya meant was the space between worlds; the barriers that separated every dimension from each other. Although this 'space' was just as limitless and infinite as 'outer space,' there was a definite difference between them.

Space was invisible to the human eye and to the majority of all living things. It was constantly changing; its location, strength, and visibility. The location of space was everywhere and in essence, became a part of every single thing that exists in a world. This can range from humans, animals, plants, and even inanimate objects. No matter what, space will always exist and has been from the birth of every new world. The problem was to pinpoint specific areas of space that were easier to access. Some areas of space were weaker, while others were stronger. There was no reason as to why that was; it was just another law that was bound to each world. Spaces that were stronger were more visible and easier to find. The opposite could be said for weaker spaces.

Naoya, as always, was knowledgeable on the topic. He explained everything he knew to Kazuya in great detail. He spoke of the general concept, miniscule details, supporting facts, and even small bits of information that nobody would even know existed.

After that, both of them worked together to find the weakest point in space that would possibly allow them to travel through. Such a feat was practically impossible for a human who could only live to be about a hundred years. This factor didn't apply to Naoya, though. He, who lived only a few years after the creation of the world and continued to live after each death, knew every part of the world that could be known. Naoya charted the locations of all possible traversable points of space that he learned of in each different life he lived through. Naoya then easily found a pattern, no matter how small, between each points of space and the shifting of strengths between them.

Only a few days later, they found one that was the weakest among all and the set time for the change in strength from strong to weak would happen eight days from then. That gave them enough time to inform everyone of the situation, plan their next steps, and to gain access to a demon who would offer their assistance.

Finding the demon and assuring its aid to their goal was Kazuya's main assignment. The speed of how fast time moved was the key factor to travelling through space. If humans could move at the speed of light, they would be able to travel through time. To travel through space, people must move faster than the speed of light. They would then bypass time, which would cause time to follow and start moving faster than the speed of light, as well. Time would be moving so fast, that it will begin to warp and create a hole in the barrier of space. At that moment, beings would be able to travel from world to world, dimensions to dimensions, before the hole closed up again.

It required a great deal of effort and precision to be able to pass through safely and quickly. If the speed of travel was too slow, they would be stuck between spaces forever and cease to exist. If the speed of travel was too fast, they could possibly die from the force of change between the previous world to the new world. In other words, it was like getting your neck snapped in half from a collision of two cars moving at maximum speed.

Both Chronos and Aion controlled time, but Chronos' control was limited to the past, present, and future. That left Aion, the Hellenistic Deity, where his control of time was flexible and bounded by nothing.

Finding Aion wasn't difficult with the new powers he gained when he became the King of Bel. It was the process of convincing the deity that gave him some trouble.

"_My help, King of Bel?" Aion repeated Kazuya's words. The deity section of the underworld was one of the brightest among all the other sections. There were structures made of gold and jewelry, the sky was a nice silver color, and the ground consisted of pure white wisps that made soft clouds. The scenery could even match against the ones seen in heaven._

"_Yes," Kazuya confirmed, his black cape covering his body. It was his second time setting foot in the deity section of the underworld. When he first entered the underworld, he visited and explored the vast lands. He learned that the underworld was divided into several sections based on each race of demons._

"_Tell me why," the deity said, his voice respectful but disinterested._

_Kazuya had to pause to gather his thoughts. He had never really convinced a demon before to join his side. All the weaker demons followed him out of fear, those with moderate strength joined through respect, and the worthy demons would usually join with their own reasons. Loki, for example, joined because he was bored, even though he didn't actually contribute to the war effort other than the information he gave through ridiculous riddles._

"_Deities are always battling for recognition and worship from humans, aren't they?" Kazuya asked, his tone perfectly light and innocent._

_At this, Aion froze and smoothly looked at him to meet his eyes._

"_Intriguing," Aion said, gesturing for Kazuya to continue._

"_The more a deity is worshipped, the greater strength and position they can obtain. If you give me your assistance…" Kazuya trailed before saying the deal, "…I can ascertain your growth of strength."_

_The demon raised his eyebrow into an elegant arc, "and how do you propose you will do that?"_

"_My friends can spread the word about you. Naoya and Atsuro are professionals within the network, Amane is the leader of a very influential group called the Shomonkai, and I have connections with the government. There were thousands of people in the Tokyo lockdown who viewed me as their savior, as well. I'm sure that they would gladly worship you if I asked," Kazuya explained as he kept his face blank._

_Internally, Kazuya was frowning. He didn't want to use humanity and his friends like that. He cared for them, so manipulating them like they were only tools bothered him. He didn't understand how Naoya could do it all the time, especially during the lockdown. It was a terrible feeling that made him want to curl up on the ground and immerse himself in self-hatred. He could feel something die inside of him whenever he manipulated others._

_Aion smiled, fully interested in the deal. "Very well, King of Bel. You may use me in any way you please."_

By attaining all the necessary components, travel through space was now possible. Everyone who could make it to the final meeting gathered at the Akasaka Tunnel, which was the location where they would create a hole in space. When they first learned of the location, he was surprised while Naoya simply smiled and said the words, "how fortunate that the place where the barrier of space will weaken is a place that we're all familiar with."

Kazuya didn't know what to expect with the idea of traveling through space. He didn't know how it would feel or how long it would take. Traveling though space was a discovery that never happened before, so it would be a first for not only him, but for all of humanity. While he didn't know what to suspect, he certainly didn't expect the feeling of himself floating. He felt light, as if strings were attached to him and were pulling him upwards. Kazuya supposed that it was like swimming in deep water, except for the fact that he was currently floating in air or space. That made the feeling he felt to be ten times more than what he would feel in water, since the density was lighter.

Slowly, one by one, he lost his five senses.

First was sight. He remembered seeing the faces of his friends in the Akasaka Tunnel. Their bodies were shadowed, but he could still recognize the worry and care each of them held in their eyes. He remembered the lights hanging from the ceiling of the tunnel and how the tunnel seemed to get darker the more he tried to peer into it. He remembered the metal door on the left side of the tunnel that led upwards to the train station above. When Aion began to bring them through space, all the images he saw faded away until nothing was left. Kazuya waited patiently for his sight to come back, but after it didn't, despite the time that passed, he began to worry. Something was wrong, he realized, and the loss of his second sense confirmed his thoughts.

Second was smell. The Akasaka Tunnel had a distinct smell of dust, as it was abandoned a long time ago. It wasn't in use until the Tokyo Lockdown, and Kazuya and his friends had been using it as a gathering place ever since then. He could also smell the weak perfume that came off of Yuzu. She finally gathered the courage to shop at Omotesando and buy the perfume she liked. She wore it every day to the point that he could recognize who she was without looking at her. With his sight gone, Kazuya could only rely on his other senses to tell him what was going on around him. He immediately smelled clean, flat air after the scent of dust and perfume were gone. The smell was nice as it was very different from the air that he breathed in Tokyo, which was full of smoke and smog. Unfortunately, Kazuya was unable to fully enjoy the change. It was only a few moments later when it completely vanished.

Third was taste. Kazuya wasn't sure if he really did lose his sense of taste, as he didn't have anything in his mouth before the transportation occurred. Since the sense of smell connected with the sense of taste, he figured that he must have lost it only a few seconds after he lost his ability to smell.

Fourth was sound. In space, he guessed, there was a familiar sharp sound. It was like opening the window when the car was driving fast. The air would push against the direction the car was moving towards and make it seem like the wind was howling. By losing three senses already, Kazuya's sense of hearing was amplified to a level that wouldn't be possible if he was still on Earth. The sound was loud, booming into his mind. It was like someone turned up the volume of his mp3 player when he wasn't paying attention. The sound destroyed any other thoughts he was having, and he was left with no choice but to focus on what he was hearing. When everything went silent, Kazuya was truthfully glad for the removal of that deafening sound and the peace that followed it.

Fifth was touch. His sense of touch was the one sense that he particularly didn't like losing. When he lost it, Kazuya lost his sense of time. He couldn't tell what was happening to himself and he felt like he didn't have any control of his body. That was the moment when Kazuya felt like he was floating. He wasn't sure if he was actually standing or sitting, if his eyes were open or closed, if he was actually somewhere or still stuck in space. The biggest problem was the fact that he soon began to forget his own existence.

It was a comfortable, but disconcerting feeling. It was as though he could just forget everything and not have to worry about his problems. It was a feeling of pacifism and Kazuya couldn't help but want to just give up. It made him feel empty inside; there were no feelings of happiness or sadness or anger. It was just blank and Kazuya found the feeling satisfying. After experiencing a myriad of emotions from the past year, feeling at peace was something that he could rarely find. He wanted it to stay like that forever. It was the same feeling that he would feel whenever he didn't want the face the difficulties of tomorrow. It was when sometimes he would wish that time could just freeze for a few minutes more. Kazuya knew it was wrong to think that way. He couldn't give up. **He shouldn't give up.** He had a mission to do and everyone was counting on him. They were waiting for him to come back and they were doing everything they could to help him. It was wrong, but…

"_Kazuya!"_

Something jerked inside of him.

"_Hey, dude! We usually meet up at school, so it feels like it's been a long time, huh? How was your summer break?"_

…

"_Ah! That's the Kazuya I know! Us young men need to be full of energy, you know? Anyways, it's real nice of Naoya to make us wait in this heat. It's good timing, though. I got stuck on this encryption code I was working on, so I was thinking of going to Naoya for some help."_

He could hear his heart pounding into his skull. It started beating in a slow, steady rhythm.

"_Hm? What are you guys doing here?"_

…

"_Safe? Oh… you mean the incident in the building."_

…

"_I see… Sorry about that, I didn't mean to worry you guys. The boy who was eaten was a student like yourself. He lived next door to me."_

His heart began to beat faster. The poundings of each strike soon became stronger and more pronounced.

…

"_Your thought process never ceases to amaze me. One would suspect that the person who sent the email carried out the murder. I can see why you truly are my cousin."_

"_Listen, our meeting here is a coincidence. It shouldn't even be happening right now. Return to Atsuro. Something big is about to change and you'll need to stay together. No matter what happens, stay strong. Do not turn away from what is about to happen now. Do not be afraid to stand against it."_

His breathing deepened, following the thrums of his heart.

"_No! Why is this happening to us? It's not fair! I just want to go home…"_

One…

"_It's better than being dead. Stay here for the night and at dawn, head for the Shibuya Station. That is all that I can do for you. Farewell."_

Two…

"_Well, everyone's in a tough situation here. We need to help each other out at times like this. Send me a picture of the guy and I'll call you if I see him."_

Three…

"_No way, we're going to die today? I… I don't want to die!"_

Four…

"_We'll survive… We have to survive no matter what!"_

Kazuya's eyes flew open.

All of his five senses bombarded him at the same time. It was painful. He hadn't felt that much pain since the end of the Tokyo Lockdown. It matched the sufferings that he endured the entire time he fought during the battle in the Underworld.

He felt like he was choking. He couldn't breathe; something was blocking his airway and no matter what he did, he couldn't find a way to inhale air into his lungs. His eyes were burning as if it was on fire from the deepest part of hell. His chest tightened uncomfortably and it was as if a weight was placed upon it. At the same time, his stomach was churning like it did every time after a rollercoaster ride.

There was a final distortion of his vision, and a feeling of being twisted and turned before he felt a little better. Finally getting a grip of reality once again, he forced his mind to focus.

Kazuya's vision cleared and he finally laid eyes upon the new world he entered.


	4. Sunday's Melancholy II

Chapter Three: **Sunday's Melancholy II**

_Do you wish to live?_

Although his body was asleep, his mind was awake; if not a bit drowsy. He realized that all he could see was black, black, and more black. No matter where he tried to look, his eyesight wouldn't show him any other colors or any objects.

Hibiki frowned when he couldn't feel his body. He tried to lift his arm or to take a step forward, but nothing happened. He felt… dislocated. It was as if his mind and body were separated for some reason.

"Hey~ Are you still there, master?"

A high-pitched, hyper voice filled his mind. Slowly, his memories of where he heard that specific voice from came to him. He remembered where he heard that, if he listened to it all the time, irritating voice from; it was from the Nicaea website. She was Tico, the guide he chose when he first signed up to the site.

Hibiki tried to open his mouth to say something, but then remembered that he didn't have any control over his body. Despite that, he still tried to make a noise to at least signal that he was there and awake. After a few struggles, he started to panic. What was happening to him? Was there something wrong with his body?

As if Tico could read his mind she spoke again, "no worries, master~ I know that you're awake. I was just making sure you were with me. Great! Shall we start?"

_Start what?_

"You know what it is, silly!"

From those few words, Hibiki suddenly remembered. There was an earthquake, and a train was falling on top of him. Was he… dead?

Hibiki felt sick at that thought. What about Daichi or Io?

Tico giggled, "Nope! You're not dead… yet. Tell me, do you want to live?"

Hibiki found that question ridiculous. Of course he wanted to live. He still had so many things to do, so many things to experience and he wanted to continue to see the world. If he died, what would happen to his family, to his friends…? To Daichi? Hibiki was definitely not ready to die.

"Aha! I gotcha, master~ I knew you would say that. The fun's just beginning, you can't just kick the bucket so early, you know. Well then, your strong will has been confirmed. It's time to wake up for your second chance of life. Wakey-wakey~ "

Tico's voice started to get dimmer as he soon faded out of consciousness.

"Peaceful days have died. Let's survive.~~"

* * *

><p>Hibiki's eyes fluttered open. He laid on the ground for a few seconds, dazed. His mind was all jumbled up and he couldn't quite organize the different thoughts he had in his head. He still couldn't remember the disaster that happened moments ago clearly. In his mind, it was all a blur. He was filled with fear and horror from the idea that he almost died.<p>

Almost immediately, Hibiki stopped going through his memories, he didn't want to re-watch the moment he thought the train was going to crush him. He was about to die with Daichi and Io who were beside him. Hibiki paused, rethinking that single thought and passing it by his mind a couple of times. That thought seemed to trigger a realization. He stood up quickly, but immediately regretted his decision seconds after. Wincing from the pain that was spreading throughout his body, he slowly looked around to find his friends.

"Daichi! Io!" He called out, starting to panic.

What if they didn't survive? What if they were dead? Were they under the train or a piece of debris, crushed with blood pouring out of them? Did they die upon impact or were they still alive, suffering in pain with the injuries they sustained and left to die slowly?

What would he do then? What would he tell their families? How would he be able to live with the regret of not saving them and the sadness of losing them?

"Daichi!" Hibiki shouted, "Io! Daichi!"

He paused, allowing the silence to reign as he panted for air. He then strained his ears for anything that could show signs of Daichi and Io.

"Hibiki…?"

He whirled around, whipping his head side to side in a frantic motion, "Daichi? Where are you?"

"Over here…"

Hibiki took a few steps forward and went around a large piece of concrete from the ceiling sustaining a huge hole, which was standing in his way. He saw Daichi on the ground, flat on his back and his eyes wide open.

Hibiki sighed in relief, "Daichi, are you okay?"

His friend groaned in response, "Do I look like I'm okay?"

Hibiki smiled, glad that it was still the Daichi he knew. He grabbed his friend's outstretched hand and pulled him up.

"What happened?" Daichi asked, "look at all the destruction here…"

The platform was a mess. The walls and the ceiling collapsed, crushing several people. Hibiki and Daichi looked away, feeling sick, when they saw the dead bodies.

"You guys are safe!" a girl called out.

"Io!" Daichi exclaimed, "Ha-ha. That's what I should be saying to you."

All three smiled, happy that they were all safe.

Hibiki, especially, was glad that everyone was alive and safe. He wanted the nice atmosphere to continue, but knew that they should probably go to ground level and find out what was going on. It was better than lingering in a destroyed subway platform full of dead bodies.

"Anyways, let's-"

Hibiki froze, his sentence cut off, when he heard a low growl resonate the air.

"Hibiki?" Daichi asked, "What's wrong, man?"

Something bad was going to happen. Hibiki could feel an alert going on and off at the corner of his mind. It was screaming in his mind for them to get out of there. They were in danger.

"Did you hear that?" He asked them.

"Hear what?" Io asked, confused.

Daichi and Io tried to hear anything that Hibiki heard which made him become alert. After a few moments, they shook their heads and said that they didn't hear anything.

Hibiki was still uncertain, but soon shrugged it off. He must have been hearing things. He knew that he was probably still panicked and unsettled from the previous disaster. It wasn't as if there was some kind of wild, feral beast.

Before they could fully ignore the issue, a fiercer and louder growl pierced the air.

Hibiki slowly looked upwards, moving his eyes from the floor to his friends. More specifically, he focused on the _monster _that was standing only a few meters behind his friends.

His eyes widened at his face showed full shock at the… what was it?

It looked, truthfully, like a werewolf. It was wearing golden armor on its arms, chest and legs. A dark blue belt was tightened around his waist, and a long piece of green cloth wrapped around its thighs and trailed down to its feet. Hibiki could clearly see the sharp canine teeth, long nose, and pointed ears. It was holding a long, silver… was that a bat?

Another deep growl erupted and he could see saliva drip from the monster's mouth.

Daichi laughed weakly, "Hey, Hibiki. What's with that frightened look? There's… there's nothing behind us… right?"

Io turned he head slightly to see what was behind her. Seeing the fantasy-like creature, she screamed.

At the same moment, Daichi turned around and gave a small yelp of his own. The monster ran towards them, moving faster than a beast would normally be able to.

"Run!" Hibiki yelled, his feet immediately moving into action. He ran as fast as he could to get away, his feet were pounding against the ground. At the back of his mind, he could hear the other two following him. Io was screaming in fear, looking as though she wanted to start crying. Daichi, on the other hand, was completely silent. His mouth was wide open and his face was full of terror. His mind was too shocked and scared, to the point that he couldn't make a sound even though he wanted to.

Hibiki turned around another large piece of debris, finally seeing the stairs that led upwards to the outside world. He was about to sprint to it, but that was before he saw _them._

"More? There are more of them?" Daichi asked in disbelief.

Right in front of the exit, several of the same monsters was blocking the pathway to it. Hibiki, Daichi, and Io were so close to safety yet so far away at the same time. Luckily, the creatures hadn't noticed their presence yet.

"Wh-what do we do?" Io asked. She was shivering slightly from fear.

Unfortunately, they didn't have any time to think of the options they could have taken to ensure their safety. A sharp bark followed by a short howl alerted the other monsters of their existence. Their heads snapped towards the three's direction. Slowly, and in a predatorily way, they moved towards the teenagers.

They were surrounded, and Hibiki knew that there wasn't a way out.

Io mumbled and her voice rose in hysterics, "NO!"

A flash of white light appeared before it disappeared. In its place, a giant and green monster stood there. Its long black hair framed its face and it wore primal, yellow clothing.

"Holy shit!" Daichi exclaimed, surprised by the sudden appearance of another monster.

Another smaller flash of light appeared, and it dimmed to show an alien-like creature floating in the air. It was glowing with large black eyes and a black mouth on its face.

Instead of going after the three humans, they charged at the other monsters. The first wielded a chopping knife and the seconds caused lightning to strike down.

Although Hibiki was in shock like his two friends, he also saw that they were fighting each other. They weren't paying attention to them. It was the perfect chance to escape.

"Daichi, Io! Let's go while their occupied!" he said, gaining their attention.

They both nodded in response, and all three of them ran to the stairs.

* * *

><p>"What was that?" Daichi asked.<p>

They were outside, panting for breath. There was a huge crowd outside the station. Hibiki could hear them yelling, speaking, and mumbling in confusion and anger. It seemed that nobody knew about the situation with the earthquake.

"I don't know," Io said, shaking her head. Their encounter with those creatures was too unreal; she couldn't wrap her head around it. "Could they be demons?"

"Demons?" Daichi asked, not believing that explanation, "No way. That's just not possible."

"Well it is, Daichi," Hibiki said, looking at his phone.

"What are you talking about?'

He showed his friend the screen of his phone. There were several new apps that he never saw before. Hibiki knew that he never downloaded anything like those before.

Daichi took out his own phone and fiddled with it, "what the- I can't delete them!"

"Ogre…" Io had opened up the app that said **'Demon Summoning Program.'** On her screen, a picture of the giant demon from before came up with a description. "_A monster of European lore. It is a massive, degenerate humanoid with a taste for human flesh. Despite this, however, it's very stupid, allowing many people to trick it_."

Following Io's example, Daichi had also opened up the app and started reading the words beside the demon's name and picture. "Poltergeist. _A ghost that causes mischief and enjoys terrorizing humans and animals. They lift and move objects around and make loud and unexplainable noises. They are often associated with paranormal activity, and, rarely, demonic possession_."

"That was the floating demon from before!" Daichi exclaimed after reading.

"So they really were demons," Io said, "what about the ones that were chasing us?"

"It's Kobold," Hibiki said, "_The kobold is a sprite of German folklore. Although usually invisible, a kobold can materialise in the form of an animal, fire, a human being, and a mundane object. The most common depictions of kobolds show them as humanlike figures the size of small children. Kobolds who live in human homes wear the clothing of peasants; those who live in mines are hunched and ugly; and kobolds who live on ships smoke pipes and wear sailor clothing_."

"Where did you find that?" Daichi asked, looking at Hibiki's cell phone.

"It's the second app that says **'Demonic Compendium.'** I think we'll be able to learn about all the demons we encounter here."

A tense silence fell upon them, each realizing the importance of their encounter with demons. It wasn't something that they could just ignore; the world they lived in was much more different than they first originally thought it was.

A beep alarmed from their cell phones. "New mail?"

* * *

><p><strong>Thank You for Using the Demon Summoning Program!<br>**To: Hibiki Kuze**  
><strong>From: Nicaea

Welcome and thanks for using the Demon Summoning Program! On this app, you will be able summon demons to become your allies and assist you on your journey. Please take notice that the strength and amount of demons you will be able to summon depends on each individual.

HAve a NIcE DAy!

**The Demonic Compendium  
><strong>To: Hibiki Kuze  
>From: Nicaea<p>

Thank you for activating the Demon Compendium. On this app, you will be able to view every demon you encounter. Information will include weaknesses, strengths, and a picture of the demon with a brief description of its history.

HAve a NIcE DAy!

* * *

><p>"I can't believe that this is all happening…" Daichi said.<p>

"Yeah," Io agreed. She then looked at the top corner of the phone and noticed that there wasn't any wireless.

"Hmmm… You're right. I wonder- Hey, Io?"

Daichi watched as Io walked away and disappeared into the crowd. Only a few moments later, she came back.

She shook her head, "the public phones aren't working either. I asked a taxi driver if I could borrow their phone. There was no connection."

"Arrgh! This is too messed up!" Daichi exclaimed.

They talked about the situation they were in a little more, including on what else they should do. Then the screens on every building flickered on, showing a news reporter sitting at the desk.

"A large scale calamity has hit Japan at 13:00 today. It has been discovered to be a vertical shock quake. All measured will be taken to fix this. Every citizen is asked to remain calm and follow instructions. I repeat: a large scale calamity has hit Japan at 13:00 today. It was been discovered to be a vertical shock quake. All measures will be taken to fix this. Every citizen is asked to-"

The screen buzzed before losing all power and it soon lost all visuals, returning to its blank state.

"Hey! What's happening?" an angry man asked.

"My god! Why can't anyone in this country do something useful?" a young female complained.

The crowd rumbled, and everyone began to shout at the same time.

"Things are getting out of hand," Hibiki said, looking at the angry crowd.

"You're telling me," Daichi agreed.

"Excuse me, I saw you three come out from the underground train station. Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Huh?" Daichi asked, as they all looked at the woman who came up to them. She had dark blue hair and eyes, and was wearing a black uniform with a yellow miniskirt. It appeared that she belonged to an organization.

She looked at all of them firmly, "You were underground, weren't you? Please tell me what you saw down there."

"Er… Well, it was a complete mess. The train was overturned, there was a lot of debris, and dead bodies were everywhere," Daichi answered for the group.

"Yes, I know that. Was there anything else?" The woman asked.

"Something else?"

She shook her head, deciding to change her mind, "Perhaps I should get to the point. Give me your phones."

Hibiki frowned, becoming slightly suspicious, "why?"

"I'm getting a bad feeling about her," Daichi whispered in a hushed tone so that the lady wouldn't be able to hear him.

"Yeah," Io agreed, "maybe it would be better to just leave?"

Daichi nodded to Io and turned back to the woman, "Oh! Look at the time! We have to be somewhere. Bye!"

Daichi grabbed Hibiki's arm and pulled him along as all three escaped from the woman. Hibiki glanced at the woman they were getting farther away from and noticed that her gaze was following their every movement.

* * *

><p>After they created a good enough distance between them and the odd woman, they stopped to regain their breath.<p>

"Phew! We got away from her!" Daichi said in relief.

"Who do you think she was?" Io asked.

Hibiki didn't know if she was a good or a bad person, but he knew one thing, "she was suspicious."

His friend nodded in agreement. His eyes then seemed to light up, as if he just remembered something. "We didn't properly introduce ourselves yet, right? I'm Daichi Shijima."

"Oh. Io Nitta."

"Hibiki Kuze."

"Well, since things aren't going too well. What should we do now?" Daichi asked.

Io looked at them both and said, "I need to go home. I'm sure my parents are worried about me, and I need to make sure that their safe."

"We'll walk you home," Hibiki said.

"Huh? But you don't really need to. I don't want to be a bother."

"No problem!" Daichi said, "It's been dangerous lately. We can't let a lady walk home alone, you know!"

Io smiled shyly, "Thank You."

Daichi pondered for a second, "So where do you live, Io?"

"I live in Ariake," she responded, "We have to go east."

Hibiki smiled, reassuringly, "let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>NOTE: all demon history information is from Wikia, so it's not my work.<strong>


	5. The Return to the Ordeal II

Chapter Four: **The Return to the Ordeal II**

A group of high school girls laughed as they crossed the street. A child grabbed his mother's hand as he licked a lollipop. Cars and buses drove down the road, coming to a stop when the lights turned red. A man was whistling happily as he walked his dog. Buildings of apartments, stores, and restaurants towered above, blocking the blue sky and white clouds.

Kazuya glanced in every direction. He wasn't expecting to arrive in a world that looked identical to his. Humans were the ones who inhabited this place, and the environment was the same, as well.

He thought that they would be transported to a world that was full of death and destruction or a place where there was violence. He came to end things with _Him_, but to do so in such a peaceful environment was odd. Even Kazuya knew that _He_ may be cruel, but _He_ wasn't heartless. Everything _He_ did had a purpose, and to come to a world like this meant that something big was about to happen.

When Kazuya opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the similarities of his world and this one. The second thing he noticed was that he was alone. He couldn't see Atsuro, Naoya, or Kaido anywhere. That would mean that he was separated from them. There was only one explanation: something must have gone wrong during the teleportation.

Of course, Kazuya wasn't panicking. After experiencing several life and death scenarios, he had grown used to thinking on his own. He could think quickly and he was strong enough to protect himself. He was a leader, and he was expected to shoulder everyone's feelings. Besides, he had already predicted that something like that would happen; nothing ever went right when it was most needed.

He wasn't worried at all for his group members. They were all competent, more than competent, in taking care of themselves. During the Tokyo Lockdown, each and every one of them had grown and learned.

Kaido was always strong from the very beginning. He was powerful, loyal, and most importantly, he knew how to survive with demons and with people. The only flaw he had was his aggressiveness. He loved the thrill of a fight and sometimes wouldn't think things through before taking action. Luckily by the end of the lockdown, he became more cool-headed and was able to think rationally at almost all times instead of relying on his emotions, which was usually dominated by excitement, irritation, and anger.

Naoya was the same as ever. He had always been far superior compared to everyone else in all categories of skill, appearance, and intelligence. It could even be said that he was the true mastermind behind the Tokyo Lockdown. Naoya may not have changed much, but he was now able to connect to people much more instead of just seeing others as a tool. Kazuya has been able to understand his cousin much easier than he has ever been able to before.

Atsuro was the one who changed the most. His skills and strength had grown from every battle he experienced. His mental capacity was only growing stronger and he was able to find the path he wants to follow. At the beginning of the lockdown, Atsuro was new to demons but he accepted the situation without running away from it. No matter how bad the situation was, he always managed to adapt to it and find a way to make it better.

The first thing Kazuya needed to do was to assess his surroundings more closely. He allowed himself to be pushed forward through the stream of people. When he noticed people exiting and entering the crowd, he also smoothly left the mass of people and gazed upon the building in front of him. _Shibuya Station_. It was Shibuya station, the same station that existed in Kazuya's world.

Parallel dimensions, Kazuya thought. Naoya had told him that some worlds were almost identical to each other. The only difference was the people living in each world. Every person has their own individual soul, so it was impossible for two exact people to exist at the same time, even if they were separated by space.

A flash of yellow caught his attention. Looking towards his left, Kazuya saw a man dressed in a yellow uniform. He seemed to be talking seriously with the woman dressed in black, based on the stern expressions on their faces and the curt nods.

Kazuya frowned, his mind working to figure out why a person, who looked like they worked for the government, would be out in the open like that. The woman was also a mystery. It was as if she was his superior. _Was something going to happen?_

He watched them for a few more minutes, unable to hear what they were saying, but knowing that they would notice his presence if he went closer. Eventually, the two broke off and headed to different directions. Kazuya pondered on following the woman, but then realized that she had completely camouflaged along with the crowd.

What was he going to do now?

* * *

><p>Kazuya only took a few steps away from the train station, when the ground began to shake. His eyes widened and he spread his feet apart wider in order to regain his balance. The crowd of people disintegrated, some people were running to grab something stable and many were falling down in all directions. Screams, shouts and cries filled Kazuya's ears, causing him to remember previous experiences.<p>

_Yuzu screamed. The fairy-like creature created lightning and sent it down upon her._

"_Damn it! Yuzu!" Atsuro yelled. He saw Yuzu freeze in shock, falling into a heap onto the ground. Then, almost instinctively, he ducked and barely dodged the fireball that would have hit him._

_Kazuya's concentration on the ogre in front of him broke and he momentarily glanced at his two friends who were in need of help. With his mind preoccupied with something else, the ogre took the chance to slash at the boy with his knife. _

_Kazuya's eyes widened as pain suddenly enveloped his body. He flew backwards, falling onto the ground and skidding across it roughly. His vision was going blurry and he began to have difficulty taking in air. He placed his right hand on his torso, feeling the thick, sticky blood coming out of his wound. _

_It was over. They were all going to die. How could he fight against a monster? _

_Kazuya's blue eyes stared up at the sky, his consciousness beginning to fade out. _

"_Yuzu! I'm coming to save you!" _

_Kazuya rolled his head to the left, his eyes seeing the danger his friends were in but his brain barely comprehending the extremities of the situation. _

_He reached his hand out, patting the ground for anything that he could use against the monsters. His hand soon bumped into a cold object. Tightening his hand around it, he realized that it was part of the pole that was cut off when the ogre slashed at him. _

_Kazuya stood up, his steps were a little wobbly and his body was shaking from exertion. The ogre stood in front of him, getting closer to finish Kazuya off. _

_Kazuya gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowed and he charged towards the opponent. _

_The ogre gave another swipe with his weapon, targeting Kazuya's head. Kazuya ducked slightly and using his smaller size, he moved behind the ogre. He jumped with the pole ready to skewer the monster's neck. He wasn't going to die. He wasn't going to let his friends die. They were all going to survive! _

_Electricity crackled from his hand and dispersed throughout the pole. Kazuya was surprised at the occurrence, but his mind did not stray from the monster. _

_He yelled as he brought the pole down. It stabbed through the monster, as electricity continued to cover the pole. _

_Kazuya fell back onto the ground. He tiredly looked at the monster that was frozen from shock. The monster grinned before disappearing, and the pole clanged noisily as it hit the ground. _

_'Contract Complete.' _

_Kazuya opened his COMP and faced the monsters that were harming his friends. On the screen of his device, the image of an ogre showed; the same monster he had just defeated. _

_Kazuya breathed in deeply, "Summon Ogre. Destroy all the other demons!" _

_The ogre reappeared in a flash of light and attacked the other monsters. _

_The other monsters looked shocked and then they too disappeared. _

_"Wh-what happened?" Atsuro asked, his face showing shock. _

_"Demons," Kazuya answered, "I've become a demon tamer." _

_Atsuro frowned, confused about what his best friend was talking about. Before he could ask more, Kazuya fell down into a heap on the ground. _

_"Kazuya!" Atsuro exclaimed. His hands felt the blood pouring out and he cursed. "We have to call an ambulance!" _

_Yuzu sobbed, tears escaping her eyes, "Kazuya..." _

_Right before their very eyes, light shined from Yuzu's hands and Kazuya's wound healed completely. _

_Kazuya opened his eyes and looked at the spot where he was injured. _

_"It's gone," Kazuya said in wonder. _

_Atsuro laughed, "I'm glad your okay, but we really need to talk about what just happened."_

When Kazuya opened his eyes again, with his mind back to the present, the earthquake had already passed. He could see people slowly get off the ground. Low murmurs of confusion and fear began to arise at the situation and several children were wailing.

Some vehicles on the road crashed into other cars, while others impacted on objects such as metal poles. Street lights were toppled over and the wires unhooked from their original positions. Small cracks could be seen on the ground, freshly made from the earthquake.

Only a second later of the catastrophe, SDF soldiers and yellow-uniformed members arrived to deal with the situation. Kazuya was right. Something was going to happen – it was already happening – to this world. The Special Forces appeared too quickly, as if they knew that something like this was going to happen.

Kazuya didn't like what he was seeing. It was almost the exact same as the ordeal he had to face with his friends. The earthquake wasn't a normal one and if things got worse, then this world really will become a battlefield. Will demons appear, as well? People were going to die and Kazuya couldn't let that happen. Even if this wasn't the world he lived in, the people here all have lives that are valuable. Once someone dies, they stay dead and Kazuya had enough of death.

Kazuya's slightly dulled blue eyes sparked for the first time in a long while, and a small fire began to ignite within him. He had to find his companions, complete the objective and if possible, find a way to help this world.

* * *

><p>Finding a secluded park, Kazuya hid himself behind a large tree. He took out his COMP and flipped it open. The first thing he did was check his demon's statuses.<p>

"Masakado" was his first partner. He was a hero-type demon that was a samurai during the Heian period in Japan. He led a small but powerful rebellion to capture three provinces: Hitachi, Shimotsuke and Kouzuke, which are now known as the Kanto region's Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma prefectures. He was level 92 with an appearance of a man with long blue hair, and wearing a mask on his face, a long sword on his back, and ancient Japanese clothing.

"Lilith" was his second partner. She was a femme-type demon who was originally called Lilitu as the storm demon in ancient Mesopotamian myth around 3000 BC. She represents disease, illness, and death. She also appears as a nocturnal demon in Jewish lore, and was seen as Adam's first wife in Judaism. She was level 93 with an appearance of a woman with yellow-slit eyes, snake-like marking on her body, and a giant snake wrapped around her.

Once Kazuya checked to make sure everything was fine with his COMP and his demons, he saw that he had new email. It was odd. The email function could only be used at night as it used too much energy during the day. The sender didn't give a name, either, deciding to remain anonymous.

_XxCOMPxX_

To: Kazuya Minegishi  
>From: ?<p>

Hello. I – or should I say we – have been expecting your arrival. Your existence in this world is an anomaly, but it has been decided that you may remain. This world will face an ordeal of seven days and it will be up to mankind to save their world.

Will you join the fight or will you ignore it?

The decision is yours. The Nicaea summoning program has already been downloaded to your phone. Please use it as you wish.

I await your answer, King of Bel.

_XxCOMPxX_

Kazuya took out his phone and just as the email said, there was a new app he had never seen before. It was the Nicaea summoning program along with a Demon Compendium. Once the program was activated, two figures appeared on the screen and Kazuya chose the male as his guide.

"Welcome to Nicaea, a dead face delivery site. Thank you for choosing me as your guide. I am Tico. This site will provide videos of the death of people close to you. I look forward to working with you," the male guide said before fading away.

In Tico's previous spot, some familiar words covered the screen: **Peaceful days have died. Let's survive.**

Dread filled Kazuya as he reread the words to make sure he wasn't hallucinating it.

"Kazuya?"

Kazuya's head snapped up, his eyes locking on the teenager in front of him. He recognized the voice; the voice that always stood by him and helped him no matter what. He was glad that they were able to reunite so quickly.

"Hey! It really is you, Kazuya. I thought I recognized your back, but you were hidden behind that tree so it was hard to tell if you really were who I thought you were."

Kazuya smiled at the boy wearing a white cap, "Atsuro, where have you been?"

Atsuro grinned, "When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was in a shelter. Man, traveling through space was weird. It was weird, but cool."

Kazuya couldn't help but get caught in his friend's enthusiasm. It was true, travelling through space could be described in a myriad of ways, but it was definitely interesting.

Atsuro continued to talk, "if only we could find a way to allow free travel through space anytime and anywhere we want. Think of the possibilities. You think we could somehow convert it into data like with the summoning program in our COMPs?"

"We might be able to do it. Every world is matter made from information, so it should be possible to convert the information of space into data," Kazuya answered. His smile faded away when he remembered the situation he was in and looked at Atsuro seriously, "did you get an email about Nicaea?"

Atsuro's exuberant mood dimmed a bit, "yeah, I did. An email from a mysterious person, a new ordeal, some kind of site that can show videos of how someone will die, and a different summoning program that Naoya didn't create. What is going on?"

Kazuya answered, "This world is most probably facing an ordeal like we did in the past. The only difference is that our ordeal was limited to the Yamanote Line, while this one is worldwide."

"You think that the ordeal was initiated by this world's creator?"

Kazuya nodded, "yes. _He_ is most probably with that creator as well."

"Jeez," Atsuro said, "things sure got complicated. Well, nothing ever goes right, does it?"

"Did you check Nicaea's summoning program?" Kazuya asked.

"I did. It's pretty much the same as the one we have, but there are some fundamental differences. The first is the harmonizing factor. Our COMPs allow us to deal damage to demons and lowers the damage we receive from demons, but the one that Nicaea provides doesn't have that. That means that contractors will have to completely rely on their demons. Not only that, but contractors will die from one hit when we could withstand several attacks from demons."

"The second difference would be the functions, right?" Kazuya asked, already guessing the remaining differences.

"Right," Atsuro concurred, "the functions are very different. Nicaea gives these 'images of death.' We used to get Laplace mails that would tell us the events of the day before they happened. They're kind of the same, but Nicaea focuses on the actual deaths of those we know, not the general information of what happens around us. Unfortunately, the Laplace mail ended a while back, so we're going to have to use Nicaea."

"I can still see death clocks, too," Kazuya said.

"Yeah. That function never really disappeared, huh," Atsuro paused before continuing, "The final difference is how the summoning program was made. Naoya created the summoning program by using the internet and the power of the song from Aya, Haru's mentor. I couldn't find out how Nicaea's summoning program was made. It's way too complicated and I kept getting blocked. One thing's for sure; it wasn't made by a human."

Kazuya looked thoughtful. Atsuro was very good at hacking, and could even beat some professionals. He heard that Atsuro had been taking some lessons in programming and hacking from Naoya. If Naoya was the one teaching, then Kazuya had no doubt about the fact that Atsuro learned a lot of useful skills. "So the anonymous sender of that email could be the administrator of the Nicaea website?"

Atsuro nodded, "yeah. I'm pretty sure about that. No normal person would be able to send us a message through the COMP. I asked around and nobody seems to know what a COMP is. They probably don't exist in this world."

The tense atmosphere seemed to permeate the area, as they discussed more on what they should do next and what they learned about this world.

"It's a good thing Yuzu isn't here, though," Atsuro said, thinking of their female friend, "She hates demons, especially since they put her in a lot of dangerous situations. Yuzu was never good under pressure. If she was with us, she'd probably crack and lose it. This way, Yuzu will be safe back home and we won't have to worry about her getting hurt."

Kazuya agreed. After the lockdown ended, Yuzu did anything to get away from stuff connected to demons. She only pretended to be fine because she wanted to help out and to be strong so that they wouldn't have to do anything alone. She was their friend and she wanted them to be safe, even if it meant that she would have to go through hell again.

After the important topics were discussed, Kazuya told Atsuro about what he wanted to do.

"I want to try to help this world. Is that okay?" Kazuya asked his friend, not wanting to force him to do anything he doesn't want to.

"You mean you want to help this world's humans overcome this ordeal?"

"Right. I won't forget about the reason why we came here to this world, but I can't allow so many people to suffer. It's too similar to our situation a year ago."

Atsuro laughed, "No prob, Kazuya. You do whatever you want to do. I'm behind you one hundred percent no matter what!"

Kazuya smiled, feeling grateful, "All right then, we'll first go east. We have a lot to do."

* * *

><p><strong>NOTE: The battle scene in the flashback is based on the Devil Survivor manga. I'll be using all aspects from the games, manga, and animation to create this fanficiton.<strong>


End file.
